29th August

A huge benefit from a day’s light rain and plants are picking up all round the garden.

The young rhododendrons in the frames are looking good.

young rhododendronsyoung rhododendrons

Eucryphia lucida above the greenhouse. Late into full flower after the odd flower over the last month.

Eucryphia lucidaEucryphia lucida

Schinus polygamus must be the dullest plant ever. Here it is 10-12ft high with no notable features!

Schinus polygamus

A sucker from Sassafras albidum beside the path. The main trunk grows through a dense camellia clump so this is the first sucker I have seen here on this multi-stemmed tree.

Sassafras albidum

Cornus kousa var. chinensis ‘Wisley Queen’ with now ripe fruits.

Cornus kousa var. chinensis ‘Wisley Queen’

2017 – CHW
Sinowilsonia henryi has still not flowered in dappled shade on a hottish bank.

Sinowilsonia henryiSinowilsonia henryi

Jaimie has split the Hedychium gardnerianum clumps by the Playhouse and planted groups around and about in the garden. First flowers here.

Hedychium gardnerianumHedychium gardnerianum

Salix moupinensis is really a smaller version of Salix fargesii but the stems and buds are attractive. Growing in a damp place it has settled in well.

Salix moupinensisSalix moupinensisSalix moupinensis

In my care article on cordyline for the website I referred to older branched forms shooting from the base. This is certainly true of this 35 year old clump by the front door.

cordylinecordyline

2016 – CHW
Alison’s hanging basket begonias are a great Top Lodge welcome to Caerhays.

Alison’s hanging basket begoniasAlison’s hanging basket begonias

This was originally, in 1999, a clump of ten plants of Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pink Diamond’. They have done well and are a big impact today although no sign of a colour change to pink as yet. Taller growing than ‘White Lace’ too.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pink Diamond’

We looked at Hydrangea ‘Hobella’ in its prime six to eight weeks ago when it was a delicate pink. Now it has turned to a shade of light blue with some outer florets turning green while others exhibit red/purple blotches on the fading whitish flowers. As advertised this variety genuinely does change colour three times during the flowering season. Wonderful for dried flowers but at what colour stage do you dry them? There are new multicolour ‘noblesse’ hydrangeas being marketed hard by the Dutch today which have mixed colours and colour changes but I find them vulgar in comparison to ‘Hobella’ which Burncoose first sold in the early 1990s.

Hydrangea ‘Hobella’Hydrangea ‘Hobella’

2015 – CHW
Decided to look further in Kennel Close with more time:Mespilus germanica (2011 planting) now has lots of fruit.
Mespilus germanicaMespilus germanica

Juglans ailanthifolia (2014 planting) has a wonderful leaf structure if the roe deer will leave it alone.

Juglans ailanthifoliaJuglans ailanthifolia

Prunus serrula ‘Thibetica’ has little peeling bark yet on the main stem but the newer branches are peeling nicely.

Prunus serrula ‘Thibetica’Prunus serrula ‘Thibetica’

Acer campbellii ‘Frangipanense’ has secondary new growth and, despite die back from the top, is now well away with a bit more shelter from the laurel hedge.

Acer campbellii ‘Frangipanense’

Cornus alternifolia, a seedling from our original plant, has made huge growth in four years and is now producing white berries turning black in huge clusters.

Cornus alternifoliaCornus alternifolia

Aesculus glabra (2011) also has peculiar shaped conkers (four only) for the first time.

Aesculus glabra

Sorbus thompsonii (2011) has massive grey leaves with whiter undersides and is growing on nicely now that its lower branches have been pruned off to reinvigorate the main stem.